Machine for fitting turbine blades



Jan. 1? 1924 1,479,549

F. 'H. KLOIDT MACHINE FOR FITTING TURBINE BLADES Filed Aug. 4, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 1 1924 H. KLOIDT MACHINE FOR FITTING TURBINE BLADES FiledAug. 4, 1921 l'Sheecs-Sheel: 2-

Jana 1,1924 v 1,479,549

F. H. KLOIDT MACHINE FOR FITTING TURBINE BLADES Filed Aug. 4, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 1, 1924 F. H. KLOIDT MACHINE FOR FITTING TURBINE BLADES Filed Aug. 4, 1921 4 Sheecs-Sheet 4 Patented Jan. 1, 1924.

FATE??? FFEQELT FERDINAND H. KLOIDT, OF COLLINGSWOOD. NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOB FITTING TURBINE BLADES.

Application filed August 4, 1921. Serial No. 489,730.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND H. KLOIDT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Collingswood', New Jersey, have invented a Machine for Fitting Turbine Blades, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a machine for grinding the blades of turbines to insure a perfect fit between the blades and thereby to eliminate leaks caused by ill fitting blades in the turbine rotors.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a front elevation of a machine made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2, is a plan view of the machine; v

Fig. 3, is a sectional elevation taken on the line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. l, is a rear elevation of the machine, and

Fig. 5, is a section on the line 55, Fig. 3, illustrating the details of the operating mechanism.

iVith reference to the drawings, my machine comprises in its preferred form one or a number of independent open topped guide boxes I mounted upon a suitable supporting structure 2,- said boxes being of a width to fit the blades 3 which it is desired to grind and being sufliciently longer than the said blades, as best shown in Fig. 3, to permit reciprocating motion of a blade therein.

As best shown in said Figure 8, the blades 3 are placed in the boxes in pairs, one above another, and in the same relative positions which they occupy in the rotor of the turbine, means being provided for holding the lower of the blades immovable in the box. The holding means in the present instance comprises a pair of cleats 4, l, which are placed so as to abut the respective ends of the blade and between which the blade neatly fits. The upper blade is left free to move upon the lower blade.

Mounted in bearings 5, 5, on the supporting structure 2 at the rear of the boxes 1, is a crank shaft 6, which comprises two eccentric offsets or cranks 7 and 8, from which extend forwardly connecting rods 9 corresponding in number to the boxes 1, and having means at the forward ends for connecting the rods to the respective upper blades in the boxes 1. This connecting means consists in the present instance of a springlO secured to the under side of the connecting rods 9 at the outer ends thereof and extending rearwardly beneath the said rods and having a T head extension 11 at the rear end, to the under side of which is secured a cleat or element 12 which is adapted to fit into a recess in the upper blade. The forward ends of the connecting rods 9 are held downwardly so that the element 12 retains its engagement with the blade by means of a pair of links 13 which are pivotally attached to the end of, the respective connecting rods-and which extend upwardly and are pivotally joined to a lever arm 14:, which latter is pivoted at one end to the supporting structure 2, and has secured to the forward end a spring 15, the other end of which is secured at the base of the supporting structure. The spring 15 exerts a pull upon the outer end of the lever 14, which has the effect through the links 13 of holding down the outer end of the connecting rods 9 and retaining the element 12 in the recess in the upper blade.

The operation of the machine will be a parent from the foregoing description, t e shaft 6 being rotated and efiecting a reciprocation of the upper blades in the respective boxes, such reciprocation causing a sliding frictional engagement between the abutting surfaces of the blades.

By the use of a grinding compound such as emery and oil, these surfaces may be worn away by the sliding motion until an absolutely perfect fit is obtained between the blades. Where it is foundnecessary to grind one portion more than another, this can be accomplished by putting the grinding compound between the surfaces that it is desired to grind and oiling the other. surfaces so that no wearing action takes place. An advantage is obtained in the use of the independent'guide boxes and associated elements, since the blades can be inserted or removed from one box without interrupting the operation of the blades in the other boxes, and by loosening the spring 15 and elevating the outer end of the arm 14, the apparatus may be disconnected from the blades to permit such removal. V

The machine not only does more accurate work than in the commonly employed manual fitting, but makes possible-a great saving in time and labor. The number of individual boxes may be multiplied indefinitely in the machine, and one operator is capable of tending a considerable number of them.

It will be clear that considerable modification may be had with no departure from the essential features of the invention.

1 claim:

1. In a machine of the type specified, the combination with a support adapted to hold a pair of turbine blades in the same contacting relation assumed in the assembled rotor, said support comprising a pair of fiat parallel guide plates between which the blades neatly fit, means for holding one of the blades fixed, and mechanism for longitudinally reciprocating the other blade over the surface of the fixed blade.

2. In a machine of the type specified, the combination with means for securing a turbine blade in position, of mechanism for re ciprocating a second blade superimposed upon the retained blade, a flexible connection between the reciprocating mechanism and the upper blade, a lever pivotally mounted on said securing means, a link operatively associating said lever and said mechanism, and resilient means for exerting a force on said lever, whereby sald blades are slidably held in resilient engagement.

3. In a machine or" the type specified, the combination with a supporting structure, of means for retaining a turbine blade fixed in said structure, a crank shaft, a connecting rod carried by said shaft and having means at the free end for engaging a second blade superimposed upon the retained blade, a pivoted lever on said supporting structure, a link extending downwardly from said lever to the connecting rod, and a spring exerting a downward pull upon the lever.

l. In combination, a box-like support adapted to hold a pair of turbine blades, said support including means for securing one of said blades in position, mechanism for reciprocating the other of said blades upon the retained blade, a lever, a link operatively associating said lever and said reciprocating mechanism, and means for exerting a force on said lever whereby said blades are slidably held in resilient engagement, the sides of said support constituting guides for said movable blade.

FERDINAND H. KLOIDT. 

